BQE CORE vs. QuickBooks Online

Overview
ProductRatingMost Used ByProduct SummaryStarting Price
BQE CORE
Score 8.7 out of 10
Small Businesses (1-50 employees)
BQE CORE is a business management solution built specifically for professional service firms. BQE CORE is a combination of a billing assistant, project management, and accounting solution. CORE is designed to do the hard work of delivering actionable insights directly to the user's dashboards or inbox. BQE CORE replaces the products Engineeroffice, Archioffice, and BillQuick; the functionality of these applications is now found in BQE CORE.N/A
QuickBooks Online
Score 8.2 out of 10
N/A
QuickBooks Online is a SaaS version of the QuickBooks product. It contains all of the features found in the local version. Higher-priced plans include greater automation, payment management, inventory and time tracking, and analytics features.
$38
per month
Pricing
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Editions & Modules
No answers on this topic
Simple Start
$38
per month
Essentials
$75
per month
Plus
$115
per month
Advanced
$275
per month
Offerings
Pricing Offerings
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Free Trial
YesYes
Free/Freemium Version
NoNo
Premium Consulting/Integration Services
YesYes
Entry-level Setup FeeNo setup feeNo setup fee
Additional Details
More Pricing Information
Community Pulse
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Considered Both Products
BQE CORE
Chose BQE CORE
We previously only used QBO for our ledger and reports, the invoicing features were not easy to use and there wasn't a project management aspect.
Chose BQE CORE
Still using QBO - integrated with BQE Core - may eventually cross over to everything being done on CORE. Integration is not the easiest.n I know there are billing programs that are set up to communicate back and forth with Quickbooks.
Chose BQE CORE
Both are good programs, but for us, BQE Core had the edge as we had already been using ArchiOffice, so we were already familiar with how the system worked and were able to transfer over old data.
Chose BQE CORE
Core is an all-inclusive package that produces results quickly. Easy to learn and a breeze to use. It even has the ability to interface with other software.
Chose BQE CORE
Although QB has a project component, it only provides basic cross-referencing and is not nearly as sophisticated in its ability to create relevant reports for use in identifying KPIs. It also does not have the ability to create phased project invoices without a manual entry …
Chose BQE CORE
We paid for BigTime and started to implement it so we could have one package with accounting as well. BQE Core didn't have the online payment selection and we had trouble years ago with integrating with QuickBooks. In trying to set up BigTime, the migration of previous and …
QuickBooks Online

No answer on this topic

Features
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Project Management
Comparison of Project Management features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
7.8
74 Ratings
1% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Task Management8.756 Ratings00 Ratings
Resource Management8.755 Ratings00 Ratings
Gantt Charts8.528 Ratings00 Ratings
Scheduling8.636 Ratings00 Ratings
Workflow Automation7.539 Ratings00 Ratings
Team Collaboration6.546 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for Agile Methodology7.921 Ratings00 Ratings
Support for Waterfall Methodology6.118 Ratings00 Ratings
Document Management8.339 Ratings00 Ratings
Email integration6.133 Ratings00 Ratings
Mobile Access7.445 Ratings00 Ratings
Timesheet Tracking9.474 Ratings00 Ratings
Change request and Case Management7.932 Ratings00 Ratings
Budget and Expense Management8.058 Ratings00 Ratings
Professional Services Automation
Comparison of Professional Services Automation features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
8.3
56 Ratings
7% above category average
QuickBooks Online
-
Ratings
Quotes/estimates7.929 Ratings00 Ratings
Invoicing8.949 Ratings00 Ratings
Project & financial reporting8.554 Ratings00 Ratings
Integration with accounting software8.035 Ratings00 Ratings
Payroll Management
Comparison of Payroll Management features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.9
108 Ratings
5% above category average
Pay calculation00 Ratings8.298 Ratings
Benefit plan administration00 Ratings7.251 Ratings
Direct deposit files00 Ratings8.490 Ratings
Salary revision and increment management00 Ratings8.064 Ratings
Reimbursement management00 Ratings7.770 Ratings
Customization
Comparison of Customization features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
6.8
99 Ratings
13% below category average
API for custom integration00 Ratings6.781 Ratings
Plug-ins00 Ratings6.881 Ratings
Security
Comparison of Security features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.4
169 Ratings
2% above category average
Single sign-on capability00 Ratings8.5134 Ratings
Role-based user permissions00 Ratings8.2159 Ratings
Reporting & Analytics
Comparison of Reporting & Analytics features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
8.3
195 Ratings
6% above category average
Dashboards00 Ratings8.3182 Ratings
Standard reports00 Ratings8.6190 Ratings
Custom reports00 Ratings7.9173 Ratings
General Ledger and Configurable Accounting
Comparison of General Ledger and Configurable Accounting features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.8
212 Ratings
2% above category average
Accounts payable00 Ratings8.9179 Ratings
Accounts receivable00 Ratings8.8196 Ratings
Cash management00 Ratings8.2179 Ratings
Bank reconciliation00 Ratings9.0201 Ratings
Expense management00 Ratings8.4185 Ratings
Time tracking00 Ratings6.882 Ratings
Fixed asset management00 Ratings7.982 Ratings
Multi-currency support00 Ratings6.736 Ratings
Multi-division support00 Ratings7.464 Ratings
Regulations compliance00 Ratings7.664 Ratings
Electronic tax filing00 Ratings8.199 Ratings
Self-service portal00 Ratings7.4109 Ratings
Global Financial Support00 Ratings6.528 Ratings
Primary and Secondary Ledgers00 Ratings7.957 Ratings
Intercompany Accounting00 Ratings8.057 Ratings
Localizations00 Ratings7.742 Ratings
Journals and Reconciliations00 Ratings8.4126 Ratings
Enterprise Accounting00 Ratings6.847 Ratings
Configurable Accounting00 Ratings7.771 Ratings
Centralized Rules Framework00 Ratings7.546 Ratings
Standardized Processes00 Ratings8.789 Ratings
Inventory Management
Comparison of Inventory Management features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
6.6
75 Ratings
13% below category average
Inventory tracking00 Ratings6.470 Ratings
Automatic reordering00 Ratings7.037 Ratings
Location management00 Ratings7.041 Ratings
Manufacturing module00 Ratings6.127 Ratings
Order Management
Comparison of Order Management features of Product A and Product B
BQE CORE
-
Ratings
QuickBooks Online
7.5
127 Ratings
1% below category average
Pricing00 Ratings7.878 Ratings
Order entry00 Ratings7.574 Ratings
Credit card processing00 Ratings8.195 Ratings
Cost of goods sold00 Ratings8.295 Ratings
Order Orchestration00 Ratings6.736 Ratings
End-to-end order visibility00 Ratings7.739 Ratings
Order exception Resolution00 Ratings6.832 Ratings
Best Alternatives
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Small Businesses
Stackby
Stackby
Score 9.0 out of 10
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
QuickBooks Self-Employed (discontinued)
Score 9.0 out of 10
Medium-sized Companies
InEight
InEight
Score 9.5 out of 10
Zoho Books
Zoho Books
Score 9.1 out of 10
Enterprises
InEight
InEight
Score 9.5 out of 10
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
SAP S/4HANA Cloud
Score 8.5 out of 10
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User Ratings
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
8.7
(165 ratings)
8.6
(207 ratings)
Likelihood to Renew
7.0
(8 ratings)
8.0
(26 ratings)
Usability
8.4
(116 ratings)
8.7
(122 ratings)
Availability
8.2
(1 ratings)
2.0
(5 ratings)
Performance
7.3
(1 ratings)
1.0
(4 ratings)
Support Rating
7.3
(90 ratings)
1.5
(69 ratings)
Online Training
6.4
(1 ratings)
-
(0 ratings)
Implementation Rating
2.3
(6 ratings)
3.0
(6 ratings)
Configurability
-
(0 ratings)
10.0
(1 ratings)
Ease of integration
4.5
(1 ratings)
1.3
(2 ratings)
Product Scalability
8.2
(1 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor post-sale
8.2
(1 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
Vendor pre-sale
8.2
(1 ratings)
1.0
(2 ratings)
User Testimonials
BQE COREQuickBooks Online
Likelihood to Recommend
BQE Software Inc.
I would recommend this for our industry: architecture, engineering, or construction. I would recommend this for any larger firm with many employees or high number of projects. I would particularly recommend this for a company with projects that have budget constraints and where time tracking and expense tracking is very important. I would not recommend this complicated software for a small firm with a small amount of income or number of projects.
Read full review
Intuit
I appreciate the ability to auto-generate invoices for recurring transactions, which saves time, as well as the option to set up auto-generated transactions. The report option is super helpful when reviewing information, as you can click to view the details in the report without having to go back and forth.
Read full review
Pros
BQE Software Inc.
  • Invoice Collections within Billing is a great tool because of the ability to take notes and track contact.
  • Invoices are professional looking and easy for our clients to understand the overall progress within each phase of their project.
  • Dashboards are the best tool EVER!
  • The Contact List feature within Clients setup is the perfect way to track multiple project managers within a large company that also has multiple contracts with us.
Read full review
Intuit
  • Workflows for accounts payable invoice review are terrific.
  • Bill payment allows you to pay vendors online via ACH or check without having to write a physical check, which reduces admin time.
  • The cloud based login lends well to a remote or hybrid work environment for staff.
  • QuickBooks Online allows you to pre-configure vendors' general ledger expense accounts. This helps with general ledger coding accuracy and consistency.
  • QuickBooks Online integrates with Rippling HRIS, Coast, Capital One, JPMorgan Chase, etc., which lends well to an efficient month-end closing and reduced administrative time.
Read full review
Cons
BQE Software Inc.
  • Customizable Reporting
  • Linking Project to Payment all together
  • Assigning contacts to particular roles - such as Invoicing, Contracts, etc.
  • Accounting Functionality - they are basically a project management accounting software, so in my opinion, they could learn some things from other accounting software such as QuickBooks etc.
Read full review
Intuit
  • The upsells have gotten worse over time and are on every screen in the most awkward positions. I don't need a constant reminder to upgrade, especially on a very old account that's paid thousands over the years.
  • The interface has never been especially intuitive, but I was an old Quicken user and it was somewhat familiar. Over time, it's gotten worse, and in the last 2 years, the program seems to move things more often than I would expect.
  • The software constantly adds features that I don't want and want to turn off, but the interface is so difficult to use that I find myself skipping it. Imagine seeing a message that the system recognized invoices that hadn't been paid so it prepared reminder notices for you that can be sent at the click of a button. Who thinks using canned reminders that you've never seen is a good thing?
  • A lot of functionality seems to derive from connecting your bank accounts to QBO. I don't want Intuit to have an always-on connection to any bank accounts, even checking.
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Likelihood to Renew
BQE Software Inc.
We have been using Core for a few years now, and honestly started to look at other software systems to see what was out there. What we chose was a nightmare for migration so we never left Core. Now we have added invoicing and payments from Core instead of double entry with QBO. Still only a few cycles in but looks like it will be up to speed soon and working smoothly.
Read full review
Intuit
It like the product 'right out of the box' and I trust Intuit will continually improve it over the years based on my experience with their desktop products. The large providers of Apps makes customizing the entire package relatively easy and seamless for a wide variety of business types.
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Usability
BQE Software Inc.
The foundation is awesome, like I have said before, however the house being built on it, the educational resources being provided to us (more of sales pitches that don't work), and flexible workflow opportunities, is making us look elsewhere for how much we will be spending on per user. It's crazy to think how flexible they are not when it comes to user settings. Lack of integration with other sources is awful.
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Intuit
I had very little trouble setting up the program and migrating from our old accounting system. The daily usage is also very intuitive and easy. Anytime we run into minor trouble with the program, there are always tons of help available on YouTube, so we don't even look up the online manual anymore.
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Reliability and Availability
BQE Software Inc.
I can only remember a couple of times in 4 years that Core has been unavailable.
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Intuit
We have rarely had outages in the last 10 years. I can only recall 2 times in the last 10 years where we were not able to access our client files.
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Performance
BQE Software Inc.
This is one area that does need some improvement. It can be slow at time, so we had our IT look at it from our side and we had no issues, so it has to be some slowness on their side.
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Intuit
Everything process has its bugs lately with the new interface. Nothing has worked smoothly since this all began last month.
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Support Rating
BQE Software Inc.
As a new employee and CORE user, I talk to support on a weekly basis. I have never had to wait for more than 3 min to get connect with a support rep, and all my questions have been answered. The support representatives are polite and eager to help no matter how simple your question is.
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Intuit
In my experience, most representatives keep me on the phone for hours, literally, for a single issue and then usually cannot resolve it satisfactorily. I have 10 open cases that need resolution and, in my experience, there has been NO follow-up communication on any of them.
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Online Training
BQE Software Inc.
Make sure you have someone training you that fits your style of learning.
Read full review
Intuit
No answers on this topic
Implementation Rating
BQE Software Inc.
It does take some time to understand the options and to find the best invoice template.
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Intuit
The person in charge of QB needs to be very accurate with record keeping and is recommended to stay on top of tasks. The biggest issue we have is reconciliation, and those issues occur only when too much time has occurred between reconciliations
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Alternatives Considered
BQE Software Inc.
Deltek Vision is far more advanced, more encompassing and offers more flexibility with what you want to do. However, it's also quite difficult to use, whereas BQE CORE is intuitive and user friendly. The trade off is worth it in some arenas but overall it's not suited for a larger fast paced company. Great for smaller companies.
Read full review
Intuit
As a freelance bookkeeper, the Desktop version of QuickBooks Online doesn't allow for ease of access from any device. Having to be on a computer with the software downloaded creates additional work to gain access to all required filings etc. Also, I personally find the linking functionality on the Online version to be much more streamlined and user friendly.
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Scalability
BQE Software Inc.
This software works on a small and large scale.
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Intuit
As we have grown along our professional path, we have also expanded our use of QB. The scalability is easy and features seem to be waiting for you until you need them. We have increased profits by over 10x from our first year in business to the current and have yet to find a reason to look elsewhere
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Return on Investment
BQE Software Inc.
  • Quick setup of new tasks under a parent project, with immediate hourly billing to it.
  • Monitoring of details of non-chargeable efforts in appropriate detail
  • Validation of hourly cost, billing cost, benefit cost, profitability by person and role
  • Company tracking of write-off's included in corporate and project reporting, no data is "lost"
  • Can track excessive work time as +PTO in lieu of pay for use as future vacation
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Intuit
  • QuickBooks has given us a useful portal by which to get an overview of our financials.
  • QuickBooks has given us a relatively easy way to send out invoices quickly and efficiently.
  • Due to the customization limitations on QuickBooks, we've had to get creative in third-party implementations to better represent our brand and to track financials.
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ScreenShots

BQE CORE Screenshots

Screenshot of Core powered by BQE SoftwareScreenshot of BQE CORE Project Dashboard ViewScreenshot of BQE CORE 360* Firm Performance ViewScreenshot of BQE CORE Reporting & AnalyticsScreenshot of BQE CORE Project Time EntryScreenshot of BQE CORE Project Expense Tracking

QuickBooks Online Screenshots

Screenshot of the accounting and bank transactions interfaceScreenshot of an overview of the accounting inventoryScreenshot of book marksScreenshot of the business tax overviewScreenshot of the customer hubScreenshot of the dashboard